By John Baron
Town councillors in Horsforth have raised concerns over four sites would could be included in a new city-wide planning blueprint for Leeds.
Views are being sought on the Leeds Local Plan, which could see thousands of new homes built on potential sites across Leeds. The plan will be a legal framework that will set out the Leeds City Council’s vision and strategy for sustainable growth up to 2042.
The plan guides how land will be used and developed. It influences planning decisions to ensure any developments meet the needs of the community and the environment.
A range of potential sites included in the consultation were put forward by developers, landowners, residents and others. They are not suggestions or endorsements from the council but were put forward in a ‘call for sites’ that the council must then evaluate to see whether they are suitable for development.
Horsforth Town Council formed a working group dedicated to discussing the plan and how it effects the town.
A detailed response raised objections over a number of sites. These included:
Land Adjacent to West End Lane and Layton Lane – up to 880 houses
The Town Council said the site is an important area of green belt, and highlights the current designation as special landscape and strategic green infrastructure.
Its says development would contravene policies of the adopted Horsforth Neighbourhood Plan and that the proposed housing capacity to be an overdevelopment of the site.
The Town Council has concerns around the impact to highways and additional pressure on the already busy A65.
View the proposal here.
Land to the north of Wood Lane – up to 54 houses
The Town Council believes that the proposed housing capacity would reflect a “gross overdevelopment”.
Councillors acknowledged desire among local residents to designate the site as Local Green Space as part of the Neighbourhood Plan review process and also raised concerns over over-capacity of local services.
Raising concerns over the loss of agricultural land, the Town Council added: “The development would also fail to respect the importance of green space through and around the conservation area through the act of developing this land.”
View the full proposal here.
Land to the rear of Oakford Terrace, Low Lane – capacity 22 houses
The Town Council believes that the proposed housing allocation would reflect a “gross overdevelopment” of the site.
Concerns were raised over vehicle access to the site onto congested Low Lane would be dangerous, along with flood risk on the site.
View the proposal here.
Land to the south of Rawdon Road – capacity 1,260 homes
Councillors said this was an important area of green belt, that the proposed housing capacity to be an overdevelopment and has concerns over road safety.
They also raised concerns over the impact on wildlife and biodiversity and the capacity of local services. View the proposal here.
Town councillors made comments on but neither objected or supported to two proposed sites: renewable energy and associated energy storage use at Low Lane/Ring Road and new student accommodation at Leeds Trinity University in Brownberrie Lane.
The council supported the inclusion of former stage works on Rein Road, conditional on access to the site being via a new access road from the A65 (and not via Rein Road).
Horsforth Town Council’s detailed feedback on all the sites can be found here.
- Have your say as part of the Leeds Local plan public consultation here.
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